


The Archer

by fangirlingbooknerd



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Kent Parson - Freeform, Song fic, Taylor Swift - Freeform, introspective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-18 00:04:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19965433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlingbooknerd/pseuds/fangirlingbooknerd
Summary: Bitty flopped down next to Jack on the couch. He waved his phone in front of Jack’s face. “Your favorite singer just dropped a new song. It’s called ‘The Archer.’”Or, Taylor Swift drops a new song and Jack really likes it.





	The Archer

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a tumblr post that said "The Archer" was a Jack Zimmermann song and I ran with it. Go stream it y'all, it's incredible. Jack Antonoff continues to be the best producer of all time. MAJOR "Supercut" by Lorde vibes. Anyway here's my fic I hope you like it thanks. I kinda wrote this in like an hour so here's to hoping for the best.

Bitty flopped down next to Jack on the couch. He waved his phone in front of Jack’s face. “Your favorite singer just dropped a new song. It’s called ‘The Archer.’” 

Jack knew that Bitty meant Taylor Swift. He may have said that teasingly but Jack genuinely really liked her. He didn’t think twice before asking Bitty to play the song. The two listen to it on the couch, cuddled up. Bitty moves on quickly, saying, “well that was sad! I’m gonna go start dinner now.” He plants a kiss on Jack’s cheek and walks away. 

Jack, however, is lost in thought. He felt… raw, as if Taylor Swift somehow knew all of his wounds and decided to sing about them. He pulled out his own phone and pulled up the song again, buying it on iTunes and everything. 

The song starts with soft music and a breathy voice singing, sounding as if she’s about to cry. 

_Combat, I'm ready for combat_

_I say I don't want that, but what if I do?_

_'Cause cruelty wins in the movies_

_I've got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you_

He thinks of Kent Parson. He doesn’t mean to, but he can’t help it. He remembers picking fights because fighting was the only way Kenny seemed to take Jack’s feelings seriously. Jack was young, this was his first relationship, so everything he knew came from the movies. Whenever someone was upset with their lover, they yelled until it was all better. He remembered practicing his arguments in his head, preparing them until they were perfect, throwing out ones that were too full of emotions and not enough reasoning. 

_Easy they come, easy they go_

_I jump from the train, I ride off alone_

_I never grew up, it's getting so old_

_Help me hold on to you_

He thinks of his time in rehab, how easily he was able to lose touch with everyone except his family. He thinks of how he was forced to grow up so quickly, and how stunted that made him.  No , he reminds himself,  anxiety does not make you stunted. It just makes you even braver for choosing to live the life you’ve made. He thinks of Bitty making breakfast, putting Jack’s pills next to his plate of eggs on the table, a simple reminder. _Help me hold on to you._

_I've been the archer, I've been the prey_

_Who could ever leave me, darling_

_But who could stay?_

Who could stay, who could stay, who could stay? He was Jack Zimmermann. Golden boy since birth, destined for greatness, would’ve been the first pick in the NHL draft if not for the overdose. Who could ever leave the soon to be star? But who could ever stay. He was Jack Zimmermann. Riddled with anxiety, cursed with awkwardness, always making the worst first impression. It takes a while for people to warm up to him… if they even stuck around that long. Bitty had stayed because he had no choice. No hockey, no scholarship. He warmed up to Jack, but Jack could never fully get rid of the nagging “what if” in his head. 

_Dark side, I search for your dark side_

_But what if I'm alright, right, right, right here?_

Jack thought Bitty was too good to be true for a while. He still kinda does, if he’s being honest. It’s not that he’s not secure in their relationship, because he is. But he also knows that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Bitty, Eric, looks like pure sunshine, with this bright blonde hair and even brighter smile. He knows that he wants to be my Eric’s side forever. 

_And I cut off my nose just to spite my face_

_Then I hate my reflection for years and years_

This is what Jack is trying to avoid, he’s trying so hard to avoid a blowup over something small and meaningless. He’s trying so hard to not make the irrational decision that will ruin his life. He messed up once before with the overdose, and he refuses to do it again. 

_I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost_

_The room is on fire, invisible smoke_

_And all of my heroes die all alone_

_Help me hold on to you_

Anxiety attacks. He’s gotten better at handling them when Bitty is around, but he remembers the sleepless nights. He still has them sometimes. Pacing around the room, feeling the panic coming on. Trying to smooth it down so it won’t overtake him. Sometimes, it worked. Most times, it didn’t. His parents tried to comfort him, but they usually just asked what was wrong, and he couldn’t tell them. How could explain the fears he had, the outcomes they kept insisting wouldn’t happen? Bitty is better, he just sits there silently, a comforting presence, holding on. 

_'Cause they see right through me_

_They see right through me_

_They see right through_

_Can you see right through me?_

_They see right through_

_They see right through me_

_I see right through me_

_I see right through me_

Sometimes he feels like he doesn’t have a grip on himself. He feels like he plays a part for the media, offering them fake smiles and answers written by the PR team. Who even knows the real Jack Zimmermann? Does HE even know the real Jack Zimmermann? 

_All the king's horses, all the king's men_

_Couldn't put me together again_

_'Cause all of my enemies started out friends_

_Help me hold on to you_

His mind blurs though memories of Kenny and his overdose. The doctors, the nurses, the therapists. His parents. They all tried to piece him back together. They did a decent job but he’s aware that this was a repair job, and that his shell could crack again. He hates that he’s aware of it, and he hates that sometimes he gets the overwhelming urge to double the dose of his anxiety meds, even though he knows that will only bring more bad than good. All of his enemies started out friends. He had two enemies, Kenny and his overdose. Medicine was his friend, it helped him when he was struggling, but can never forget the fear he had in rehab. As for Kenny, he didn’t know if they could ever truly be friends again. He tried, he replied to all of the Kit Purrson pictures he received, but it’s hard for him. He doesn’t feel broken anymore, no, he KNOWS he’s not broken. But that doesn’t erase the memories of when he did feel broken. 

_I've been the archer, I've been the prey_

_Who could ever leave me, darling_

_But who could stay?_

_(I see right through me, I see right through me)_

_Who could stay?_

_Who could stay?_

_Who could stay?_

_You could stay_

_You could stay_

_Combat, I’m ready for combat_

You could stay. Bitty can stay. Eric can stay. Eric is his everything, and he refuses to let go of him without a solid fight. He’s ready for combat. He’d fight the entire world for Eric, this he is certain of. 

Jack must’ve been sitting there for a while, listening to the song on a loop, because Bitty comes back to check on him. “Hey, sweetheart, dinner is ready.” He pauses, noticing the song. “Oh wow you must’ve really liked this one, huh?” 

Jack opens his arms, a silent invitation for a hug. Bitty climbs on his lap, tucking his head over Jack’s shoulder. He sits, waiting for Jack to speak first. “I really like this song. She… she understands me. The biggest pop star in the world, yet it feels like she made this song just for me.” 

Bitty leans back to look at Jack. “Well, I don’t know about BIGGEST pop star in the world, don’t you forget that this is a Beyonce household. Don’t give me that look, Mr. Zimmermann, I’m not pitting them against each other, I’m just reminding you where my loyalties lie. But,” he sighs, “if you liked Taylor slightly more than you like Beyonce I guess I’d learn to live with.” He kisses Jack’s nose, and Jack feels warm and fuzzy inside. “I’m glad you liked the song, but dinner is getting cold. You can tell me about it over some food, I promise.” 

Holding hands, the two walk into the kitchen for dinner. Jack sets the song on repeat as background music. The song definitely hurts a little, but the surge of confidence at the end makes Jack feel strong.  I’ll always fight for you, Eric.


End file.
